Lace at home: It's not just for grandma anymore

No longer reserved for the tops of old ladies’ sofas or for dresser-top doilies, lace is making its way back into homes as a decor trend this fall.

The key to making this delicate handicraft more modern than matronly, designers say, is focusing on pattern and not fabric. Intricate chinoiserie dishware, metallic textured coasters and bold floral wallpaper are just a few ways lace can give a sophisticated touch to your home.

“You can celebrate it and can without guilt put it on your bed and still be seen as someone in line with what’s modern,” says Kevin Sharkey, editorial director of decorating for Martha Stewart Living.

Lace can also balance a room by softening or “humanizing” pieces that could otherwise be cold or harsh, says Vern Yip, a judge on HGTV’s “Design Star” and designer of the HGTV Urban Oasis 2011.

“I love that level of detail,” he says. “Lace automatically brings texture to a space, visual as well as actual.”
ACCESSORIES
One of the most popular, and easiest, ways to incorporate lace into your home is through accessories.

Yip loves the perforated metal and porcelain hurricanes and tealight holders from West Elm ($8 to $17), and the fanciful, cascading metal lace and flowers of the Garland pendant light from Artenica ($79) as simple, elegant pieces that make a crisp yet warm statement.

WALL COVERINGS
Lace on your walls might sound like overkill, but the patterns making their way onto fall wall coverings feature subtle colors like rose, pink and taupe.

Even bolder statements like white or cream lace on deep blue, black and brown backgrounds stay clean and simple so they don’t overwhelm a room.

“Other lace designs are tone-on-tone, so at first glance they read like a damask or other overall design,” says Gina Shaw, vice president of product development at York Wallcoverings. “But modern flourishes like a matte lacquer finish add dimension to the pattern.”

TABLEWARE
Try some lacy dishes or stemware to bring an air of sophistication to your table without breaking the bank. The key, again, is pattern. The Martha Stewart Geneva and Lisbon dinnerware collections at Macy’s, for instance, update the look with large graphics and a crisp black and white palette.

“You’re looking at a lace pattern without knowing you’re looking at a lace pattern,” Sharkey says.

Pair the dinnerware with Martha Stewart’s Petal Trellis champagne flutes, etched with delicate latticework, or Vera Wang’s wine glasses in the Vera Lace Bouquet pattern, also at Macy’s, for an air of understated sophistication.
TEXTILES
There’s no shortage of pillows inspired by the lace trend, and they come in all manner of fabrics and patterns — shimmery silk damasks, burned-out velvet and laser-cut suede. Just pick your style and color.

Finally, as Sharkey says, don’t be afraid to throw some lace on your bed in the form of a patterned duvet or sheet set. Just don’t overdo it, and stick to modern colors such as turquoise, chartreuse or honeysuckle.